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"Ban, yes. You are roo, Wil of House Vadalis, and Raunip will be glad to call you a friend. May you bring much atcha to you and your family. When we next meet you will be Chib Wil, Tamer of Landsharks." Raunip waves at the human turns back to explore the landshark territory. "Raat shi anaa. The story continues." Raunip adjusts his pack and continues upon his journey.
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After a time, Raunip pauses to click his heels together, activating his boots of the lonely traveler to summon his ghostly servants as he does when he is alone.
As three of the translucent green goblin footmen take form near Raunip, the hobgoblin bows and greets them as friends, even though he knows they are more illusion than real. "Bako, Sala, Gax. Walk with Raunip." the bandy-legged boy looks down at his boots and chuckles. "Gwenn slumbers more than the bear."
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Three ghostly visages arise, taking the form of goblin servants dressed in ancient Dhakaani livery. Raunip has summoned them many times since acquiring the boots in trade from the goblin collector. Perhaps they once belonged to an emperor or general, Raunip has often wondered their history. But for an only child often alone, the servants pass for friends, following Raunip's commands silently. Raunip has attributed names and personalities to the four servants, and enjoys seeing which ones are randomly summoned from the boots' use.
The trio walk with Raunip, picking up small pebbles and sticks as Raunip points them out. You talk to them, telling them about Wil d'Vadalis and your adventure with the basilisk. As the sun passes midday, the servants vanish as the magic of the boots is temporarily spent. Besides the occasional animal, nothing but stones and rocks have been in your sight for most of the day.
Several large stones stand closer together, perhaps the foundation of a building long ago destroyed. With your eyes on the curiosity you forget to check the terrain with your staff. Suddenly the ground falls away beneath you as you discover a hidden pit trap.
Reflex Save.
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Correction
Three ghostly visages arise, taking the form of goblin servants dressed in ancient Dhakaani livery. Raunip has summoned them many times since acquiring the boots in trade from the goblin collector. Perhaps they once belonged to an emperor or general, Raunip has often wondered their history. But for an only child often alone, the servants pass for friends, following Raunip's commands silently. Raunip has attributed names and personalities to the four servants, and enjoys seeing which ones are randomly summoned from the boots' use.
The trio walk with Raunip, picking up small pebbles and sticks as Raunip points them out. You talk to them, telling them about Wil d'Vadalis and your adventure with the basilisk. As the sun passes midday, the servants vanish as the magic of the boots is temporarily spent. Besides the occasional animal, nothing but stones and rocks have been in your sight for most of the day.
Several large stones stand closer together, perhaps the foundation of a building long ago destroyed. With your eyes on the curiosity you forget to check the terrain with your staff. Suddenly the ground falls away beneath you as you discover a hidden pit trap.
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You flail and fall into a rather deeply dug pit, the landing is not very soft.
After several long minutes, there is a sound of high-pitched yapping and conversation in a language unknown to you. Several small silhouettes come into view. Slowly as your vision clears you see small reptilian creatures. Any traveler would recognize these beasties as kobolds. You can see they have spears leveled at the pit. In total you count half a dozen of the green-scaled creatures. One begins shouting at you, you assume it is the leader because it is wearing an oversized hat in the style of the Brelish guardsman of the south. "Quis te?! Non arafa non!" It shakes its spear as it waits for a response.
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Raunip wracks his mind trying to recall what he knows about kobols beyond their common view as pests. At the same time he tries to determine what language his captors are speaking.
"Raunip does not wish to fight." the boy attempts in Common. "Olen Raunip." he adds slowly in Goblin, pointing to himself.
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You know that kobolds utilize ambush and pack tactics, though individually weak they make up for that by always trying to outmaneuver and outnumber their quarry. Exceptionally gifted with traps, kobolds can utilize nearly anything to entrap and ensnare.
Kobolds claim the blood of the Great Wyrms, and fancy themselves dragon-kin. They speak the languages of dragons almost exclusively, but some of the more clever members of a clan can also speak the Trading tongue of Galifar.
The leader-in-the-hat points its spear directly at you. "You... not.. Great Grunda." it speaks in Common, proving itself to be one of the more clever members.
The little lizards seem ready to attack at their leader's order, but their cowardice is easy to see. You might have a chance to talk your way out of the pit, if you can communicate well enough.
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The leader beams and grins, sharp pointed teeth glistening in a smile. "Hic enim scit suum locum." It barks to the others. They seem excited by whatever is said. It looks back down at you. "Me Ozula Green-hoard. You help Green-hoard." She points to one of her spear-bearers. "Vinculum descendit!" The frightened kobold quickly lowers a length of rope down into the pit for you to climb. It seems flattery can work wonders.
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Slowly you make your way up out of the pit, struggling the entire way. The Green-hoarders do not help you in any way, but they do not hinder or mock your progress either. After dusting yourself off, Ozula looks up at you, her head mostly obscured by her stolen Brelish hat. "Fast now fast. Hide away. Great Grunda come back soon."
At half-heartd spear point you are escorted to the cluster of rocks. Several kobolds stay behind, already getting to the task of resetting the pit trap. The stones form a loose ring, and many of them are packed too tightly for even you to squeeze through. The Green-hoarders lead you to a spot that you can wiggle through with some effort. The jagged rocks stand nearly twenty feet high in most places. Within the stone-ring are several more kobolds milling about tasks, and what appears to be an entrance to a burrow. The yapping sounds of Draconic are constant, and you realize the stones do much to muffle the noise outside. You also see a roughly-crafted pen housing several very large weasels, large enough to be ridden by the kobolds. Leather saddles propped near the pen confirm that these dire weasels are mounts for the Green-hoard clan.
Ozula leads you to a small area where a few kobolds lay dozing on flat stones, basking in the sunlight. The rock perimeter offers a measure of protection from straight sun, as most of the kobolds keep to the shadows of the edges. "Raunip know of Great Grunda?" Ozula inquires.
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Raunip follows along, trying to think of what Grunda could be.
His mother's son, the hobgoblin seizes on opportunity. "Raunip will help your people, and protect your eggs. But what does Raunip get from the Green-hoard? If Raunip helps little dragons, then little dragons must give Raunip something in trade..."
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You are fairly certain the Great Grunda is some variety of giant, though with Ozula's description there is no way to discern what kind.
The kobold leader smiles again as she pieces together what Raunip says. She nods, her attitude of Raunip increasing as he spends more time among her people. "Great Grunda very mean. What Raunip want for help?"
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Ever the haggling merchant, Raunip draws out the process, seeming to be lost in thought, though he eyed something he wanted in trade as soon as the guards escorted him into the camp. "Hmm... well, Raunip's legs do not work very fast... if Raunip help," pointing to the pen of animals, "Raunip would like a riding weasel."
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Ozula thinks for a while, taking off her Brelish cap and wringing it between her clawed hands as she ponders. Raunip looks over the camp while she considers, seeing several kobolds going to and from the burrow. You would guess that there are maybe thirty kobolds in this clan, unless there are more underground than you can count.
Ozula sighs and places her overlarge hat askance on her ridged brow. "Raunip stop Great Grunda and Green-hoard give Raunip a petisse-verth baeshra." She nods again, convincing herself. "Great Grunda sleep most day but when hungry she come. She sleep not far. Where long many-tooth lizard sleep in water." Ozula points towards a direction Raunip thinks is eastward. "Raunip go now. Great Grunda maybe sleep still. Make peace or make quiet for always."
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Ozula nods and barks a command, soon a small spear guard is following you out of the Rock Ring. The bright green kobold takes the lead and points his spear and yaps for you to avoid the pit traps littered around the home of the kobolds. After several minutes your guide stops and plants the butt of his spear into the dirt. He yaps once more and points in the same direction as Ozula.
Perception check.
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On the distant horizon you see the peaks of the Byeshk Mountains, but much closer there is a small copse of trees clustered near a small river. At the trees it collects into a watering hole.
Your kobold guide looks warily ahead and then quickly rushes back to the protective ring of jagged stones. There are random stones about, likely thrown by the giant. Between the rocks and high grass, you might be able to approach without being in plain sight.
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Not seeing any immediate danger, Raunip puts his back to the boulder and sits down, producing a handful of chameleon bones marked in Goblin runes. He whispers "kuulla luut." as he tosses the bones into the air. He asks quietly as he casts the augury, "Will Raunip succeed in making peace with the Great Grunda?"
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As Raunip steps into the warm water, he finds it deepens quickly. Reaching for a floating log, you realize all to late that it is actually an alligator in the water. The alligator has been waiting for you, however, and snaps its powerful jaws. By sheer luck Raunip avoids being bitten by the reptile.
Roll initiative.
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You are able to tread water and are near the other edge of the river, but the alligator turns quicker to snap at you as you try to flee.
Water splashes around your legs as the alligator misses again, but now that it faces you it makes a better attempt to chomp on the hobgoblin. The ghostly servants swirl around in you, but teeth still sink into your legs and you know it will try to drag you down below.
Round Two: Raunip, Alligator
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A rush of force slams into the alligator, and in pain it releases you. Swiftly the alligator retreats down the river, away from the difficulties of trying to eat you.
With a gasp you burst out of the water, clutching the riverbank dearly. The dark cool water made even murkier by your blood. Raunip crawls a pace away from the river, breathing heavily.
Perception check.
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Although the servants swarming around him offer protection, Raunip does not want to feel teeth sinking into him again so soon. He turns another button on his cloak, shouting the Goblin incantation as he also wraps himself in mage armor. "Paal'tapaat!"
One hand holding his staff, he takes the hand that turned the button, crooking his finger to bring the flaming sphere to roll up the alligator's back.
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On dry land Raunip is a much greater adversary. The staff cracks bone as the fire sears through the alligator. It quivers once, then is still.
400 XP.
With the immediate threats removed, you are able to see into the thicket of trees and shrub grasses that grow near the pool. Around the cornerstone of an ancient Dhakaani building, a patchwork hut has been erected. Using the crumbling stones of the corner as anchor points, the hide hut is at least seventeen feet in height and more than three times that in length, extending deeper into the glade. If this is the resting place of Great Grunda, it is far larger than she would need even if Ozula's accounts of her size are exaggerated.